Another day, another shoe, this one courtesy of the New York Times:
Two weeks after Donald J. Trump clinched the Republican presidential nomination last year, [Donald Trump Jr.] arranged a meeting at Trump Tower in Manhattan with a Russian lawyer who has connections to the Kremlin, according to confidential government records described to The New York Times.
The previously undisclosed meeting was also attended by Mr. Trump’s campaign chairman at the time, Paul J. Manafort, as well as the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, according to interviews and the documents, which were outlined by people familiar with them.
This obviously looks really shady. The Russian lawyer involved is Natalia Veselnitskaya, who has a long track record of trying to convince the US government to drop the Magnitsky Act, which punishes Russian human rights abusers.
As for Donald Trump Jr.’s defense? He’s confirmed the meeting, which he says was “primarily about an adoption program”. Assuming for the moment that this isn’t complete BS, it connects to Veselnitskaya’s work, as one of the ways Russia retaliated for the Magnitsky Act was to limit US adoptions of Russian children. In which case the meeting was likely an attempt by the Russian government to lobby the Trump campaign on the Magnitsky Act — almost impossible for it to have been otherwise.
Which itself is interesting, because in March...
Donald J. Trump Jr. had denied participating in any campaign-related meetings with Russian nationals when he was interviewed by The Times in March. “Did I meet with people that were Russian? I’m sure, I’m sure I did,” he said. “But none that were set up. None that I can think of at the moment. And certainly none that I was representing the campaign in any way, shape or form.”
Asked at that time whether he had ever discussed government policies related to Russia, the younger Mr. Trump replied, “A hundred percent no.”
So, basically, either he has one of the worst memories in human history (as, somehow, does pretty much every other Trump associate) or he’s a liar.
And that’s taking him at his word! If the meeting wasn’t about an adoption program, or if there were explicitly campaign-related matters discussed as well (which the Times notes that Trump Jr.’s statement does not deny)…. well, THAT would be fascinating. It would likely also be fascinating to a certain Mr. Mueller.